Upgrade Pentair Easytouch 4 to 8?

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My original ET-4 card had 2.14 F/W and dated 6/0915. I sent it to Tom to have the F/W updated and it is now 2.16.. Tom did not mention that he installed a resister, so I really doubt he did, as we talked about it quite a bit.. I just checked the board and both resisters are there and the solder does not look disturbed.

If I remember correctly, before the upgrade, if you pushed a button on the main panel it would turn on the light below the button # even if it was 4 through 7.. But before the upgrade you could only see Aux 1 -3 in the circuits list.. After the upgrade you could see Aux 1 -7.

It has been a while and I have slept since then.. :mrgreen:

Either way, if it works, it works.. I'd want to make sure the you can see all the circuit numbers.. The screenshot below was before the F/W upgrade

View media item 1964
Now I can see all the Aux circuits..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
pb,

I guess my point is that you already had 2.16 and no resistor.. I had 2.14 and had the resistor.. But we both had the ET-4.. When you added the resistor you got the ET-8, and when I upgraded the F/W to 2.16 I got the ET-8... So "maybe" Pentair has changed how they control the ET-4 to ET-8 switch.. and that maybe why your resistor looked like it was clipped off.. it would be cheaper to manufacture all the cards as the ET-8 and just clip the resistor to switch back to the ET-4.. Just guessing of course..

I am sure the Tom can tell us if he ever shows up again... :poke:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Hey guys, I'm still here!

The resistor thing is correct... I think earlier versions had separate firmware forks, which may have required the hardware AND firmware change, but at some point they merged (I think I noticed this as of 2.130?) so you can "upgrade" any board by just adding the right resistors. *Note that the earliest ET boards had a smaller chip that won't take the current firmware.

Similar tricks exist to make a "Lite" indoor or wireless controller into a regular one, I haven't posted anything about it here for fear of legal reprisal against TFP, but pm me if you're interested.

Hardware manufacturers have been doing this sort of thing for ages - it's super cost effective although it can be construed as somewhat deceitful? maybe? I dunno... it IS their proprietary information afterall, so it's probably appropriate to not shout it from the rooftops considering the state of the right to repair laws these days :(
 
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The firmware scans the pins that those resistors are connected to, and detects a high or a low to set the board type. When I was messing with this I would take an ET-8, cut one of the resistor legs, reset it, and it would become a 4. It was fun!

And for lites - if my memory serves me, there's a jumper where the old phone adapter? connected that you need to cut. And voila, you have an 8. The lite also used to have it's own firmware but now it's all the same binary as the 4/8
 
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I am at firmware 2.060 on UOC and wireless (4 button) UIC. If I update the UOC to a firmware that supports extra relays will the wireless remote still work? I plan on installing screenlogic2 soon so it's no biggie if it doesn't.
 
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I've upgraded dozens of boards from a lite or a 4 to an 8 - using firmware 2.160-2.180 - and never had a problem with the wireless system, so I think you should be fine. You may have to reset the wireless address though.
 
Telemachus said:
I am at firmware 2.060 on UOC and wireless (4 button) UIC. If I update the UOC to a firmware that supports extra relays will the wireless remote still work? I plan on installing screenlogic2 soon so it's no biggie if it doesn't.
Click to expand...
Your remote will work, but only relays 1-4 will be controlled the additional 4 will not.
 
panic_button said:
Your remote will work, but only relays 1-4 will be controlled the additional 4 will not.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I figured I'll update the firmware on the remote first as a test of my programmer.

I won't be a be able to access any of the extra relays? Do the four buttons on the remote always correspond to the first 4 buttons on the Main board outside?
 
actually it's pool/spa on button 1, then aux 1-3 on the remaining buttons. if you only have a 4-button remote, you can buy an 8 button one online (make sure you get the one that works with your transceiver card) or you can use the "extra" relays with the aux buttons on the outside panel.

Anything you program will be able to use the relays... i.e. you can add yard lights to relay 6 and set it to turn on at 7:30pm and off at 11 (this works of course because it doesn't need the remote).
 
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ogdento said:
actually it's pool/spa on button 1, then aux 1-3 on the remaining buttons. if you only have a 4-button remote, you can buy an 8 button one online (make sure you get the one that works with your transceiver card) or you can use the "extra" relays with the aux buttons on the outside panel.

Anything you program will be able to use the relays... i.e. you can add yard lights to relay 6 and set it to turn on at 7:30pm and off at 11 (this works of course because it doesn't need the remote).
Click to expand...
While the remote has served me well for the last 12 years, the Screenlogic2 I picked up on Ebay for $200 should be here soon. I'm guessing after that the remote will get used just about as much as the house key does since putting in a wifi lock...
 
12 year old EZ-touch 4 with firmware 2.060.

I soldered on the 1k resistor in preparation for upgrading (programmer is in the mail from China) but its already recognized as ET8.

4th relay is turning on and off with screenlogic!

Apparently earlier firmwares work, too.
 

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Hey that's good to know... I must have never tried adding a resistor jumper without a firmware update on the ET4! I do know if you've got an early lite you'll need an update because the firmware is actually a different binary
 
Telemachus said:
12 year old EZ-touch 4 with firmware 2.060.

I soldered on the 1k resistor in preparation for upgrading (programmer is in the mail from China) but its already recognized as ET8.

4th relay is turning on and off with screenlogic!

Apparently earlier firmwares work, too.
Click to expand...
Was there much involved in soldering the resistor? What programmer did you order? I'm hoping to do the same with my ET4.
 

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